Machine for excavating



No Model.) 7 Sheets-.Sheet 1.

M. W. ROBINSON, R. FRIGK 81; F. H. SHIELDS. MACHINE FOR EXGAVATING, CONVEYING, AND LUADING 0B,

UNLOADING EARTH, &o., UPON 0R FROM RAILWAY CARS.

Mar.1 3,` 896..

Paten @UMA/L @m 4 PHOTO-UTHQWASNKN GTON D C (NoModel.) y 7 Sheets-Sheet 24 M. W. ROBINSON, R. FRIOKKZ I. H. SHIELDS.

MACHINE FOR EXOAVAI'ING, CONVEYING, AND LOADING 0R UNLOADING EARTH, 65e., UPON 0R FROM RILWAY GARS.

7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

`(No Model.)

M. Wl ROBINSON; R. FRICK 8v I'. H. SHIBLDS. MACHINE FOR BXOAVATING, CONVEYING, AND LOADING OR UNLOADING EARTH, 650., UPON 0R FROM RAILWAY GARS. N0. 555,889.

mo Model.) A 7 sheeIs-sneet 4.` M. W. ROBINSON, R. PRICK 82;` FH. SHIELDS.

MACHINE FOR EXCAVATING, CONVEYING, AND LOADING OR. UNLOADING EARTH, &c., UPON 0R FROM RAILWAY GARS.

No. 555,889. 7a

Pghlte/:I Mar. 3, 1896.

7 Sheets-Sheet 5.

UNLOADING EARTH, zo

S20... DG um Im H0 SL .D Hm an Kw CN T10 RC FG, .N Rm N..v. .0M SX .mE Bw 0F RE .m Wm MM .No Model.)

S. R A C Y A W L I A R M O R f R 0 N 0 P U (No Model.) Y 7 Sheets-Sheet 6.

M'. W. ROBINSON, R. FRIGK 8v F.' H. SHIELDS. MACHINE FOR EXGAVATING, CONVEYING, AND LOADING 0R UNLOADING BARTH, am., UPON 0R FROM RAILWAY GARS.

'Patented Mar. 3, 1896. f i

A E11/w12 (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 7.

M. W. ROBINSON, R.VFRIOK &:NP. H. SHIELDS.

MAOHINE FOR EXGAVATING, CONVEYING, AND LOADING OR UNLOADING EARTH, &o., UPON 0R FROM RAILWAY GARS.

N0. 555,889. Patnted Mar. 3, 1896. FW /q' o. 'l Il 8/ i fm ANDREW @,GRANAM. PNOTOUTHQWASMINGTUN. D.C4

Nrrn STATES ATENT OFFICE.A

MOSES WV. ROBINSON, RUDOLPH FRIOK, AND FRANK II. SHIELDS, OF `DES MOINES COUNTY, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-FOURTH TO OIIASTAINE M.

SNYDER AND GEORGE NV. SNYDER, OF HENRY COUNTY, IOWA.

MACHINE FOR EXCAVATING, CONVEYING, AND LOADING OR UNLOADING EARTH, &c., UPON OR FROM RAILWAY-CARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 555,889, dated March 3, 1896. Application filed June '7, 1895. Serial No. 552,041. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, MOSESV. ROBINSON, RUDOLPH FRIGK, and FRANK H. SHIELDS, citizens of the United States, and residents of the county of Des Moines, in the State of Iowa, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Excavating, Conveying, Loading, and Unloading Earth and other Materials Upon and From Railway-Cars, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

- To those conversant with the construction of railroads, canals, reservoirs and other heavy earthwork requiring the excavation, removal and disposition of earth the object of our invention is manifest, which is, generally, by the means hereinafter described, to dig and excavate earth, raise it and load it upon and unload it from railway-cars, to be zo by them transported and distributed wherever needed.

Our invention is especially adapted to ditching or making earth cuts along and parallel with railways; but it is perfectly obvious that it maybe used in a great variety of ways, such as shoveling snow from car-yards, raising and distributing gravel and other ballast, as may be desired.

The special objects of our invention are to provide means whereby an excavating or plow point may be caused to travel forward at the sides of a moving railway-car to plow or excavate the earth on either side of said car and to throw the earth or material excavated upon a moving conveyer-belt to be carried upward and delivered upon conveyer-belts traveling longitudinally upon said cars; to operate the conveyors upon the cars by an actuating mechanism with power furnished 4o from the axles of the moving cars; to relieve the conveyer-belts of their loads by mechanism adapted for that purpose; to carry or throw the earth or other material excavated upon one side of the railway-track, by crossconveyers, to the opposite side of said track, and to raise and swing back to a position upon the car the scraper or plowing mechanism, together with the outside swinging conveyer or elevator.

XVe attain the objects by the means and mechanism shown in the aecompanyin g drawings, in which- .l

Figure l is a perspective view of the machine or derrick car and the adjacent end of one of the flat cars upon which the excavated material is deposited, the cross-conveyers being omitted. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, the fiat car being omitted; Fig. 3, a plan view of the same, the flat car and cross-conveyer being oniitted. Fig. -t is a vertical longitudinal section of the lower end of the elevating and excavating devices; Fig. 5, a side elevation of the same. Fig. 6 is a detail plan view of the short pivoted trough carrying the excavating-shovel, the shovel and connected parts being omitted from this vieg. Fig. 7 is a vertical transverse section of the pivoted shovel or scoop; Fig. S, a side elevation of one of the iiat cars provided with the conveying and distributing mechanism for the excavated material; Fig. 9, a plan View of a portion of the same, and Fig. l() a detail perspective of a portion of the conveyer; Fig. ll, a side elevation of the mechanism mounted on the rear end of the machine-car for conveying the excavated material to the opposite side of the road-bed; Fig'. l2, a plan view thereof; Fig. 13, a detail vertical section taken through the mechanism for driving the cross-conveyers, and Fig. 3 a detail view hereinafter described; Fig. 14, a bottom view of the derrick mechanism, the derrick-post being shown in transverse sections; Fig. l5, a rear elevation of the derrick Fig. 1G, a vertical sectional view thereof, and Fig. 17 a transverse vertical section through the double arm of the derrick.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

To an upright derrick-post l rigidly mounted on the machine-car is affixed a semicircular platform 2, and upon this platform rest the inner ends of the two horizontal arms 3 of the derrick, provided at their rear ends with a vertical sleeve 4 fitting down over/a hub 5 upon said post. Upon the outside circular edge of said platform is a groove, in which is coniined a sliding guide-shoe il attached to said horizontal arm, and upon the top of this platform is a metal plate 7 embedded therein and provided with a hole to receive a stop-pin 8 attached to said arms by suitable eyes, whereby the arms are locked against lateral movem ent' whenever desired. Secured rigidly upon the under side of the platform 2 are two angle-iron tracks 9, upon which the traveler 10 runs, said traveler carrying the horizontal shaft 12 and rack-bar 11, both these parts passing through an opening in the derrick-post parallel with the stationary tracks 9. Upon the lower edge of each of the horizontal arms 3 is attached an angleiron track 13, which are adapted to lneet and register with the corresponding angle-irons secured to the bottom of the platform and thereby permit the carriage or traveler 10 to pass freely from the stationary tracks onto the swinging tracks and vice versa. The carriage 10 is run in and out upon its tracks by means of a pinion 15 carried bya short horizontal shaft 14 journaled in the derrick-post. The shaft 12 is journaled in suitable bearings carried by the carriage 10 and the post, and it carries a drum 16 at its outer end, upon which is wound the rope or chain 17 by which the excavator plow or scoop is raised or lowered, The shaft 12 is rotated to wind or unwind the cable 17 by means of a gear 18, which is journaled between suitable brackets carried by the derrick-post and is provided with a spline which works in a groove eX- tending the full length of the shaft, whereby the shaft may have an independent endwise movemem, but must rotate with the gear. The gear 18 is operated by a pinion 19 carried by a short shaft journaled in bracketarms on the post. The shafts 20 and 14 may be opera-ted by the hand-wheels 21, or they may be operated by suitable power connections with the stationary engine 22 mounted upon the machine-car, as the exigencies of the case may require.

It will be observed that by simply drawing back the carriage 10 onto the stationary tracks 9 under the support 2 the swin ging arm of the derrick may be swung around over the car when not in use.

Fastened securely upon the rear end of the platform of what we have called the derrick or machine car is an upright stationary frame 23, in which is journaled a vertical shaft 24.

Pivoted to the shaft 24 is a swinging support 25, in the upper end of which is journaled a short horizontal shaft 2G, which carries the upper roller, 27, of the elevator, said shaft also pivotally supporting the side bars 28 of the elevator. The elevator-belt 29 consists preferably of narrow transverse plates carried by suitable sprocket-chains runnin g over sprocket-wheels carried by the upper roller, 27 and by the lower roller, 30, and supported at intermediate points by rollers 31. The sides 28 of the elevator forma trough for the purpose of keeping the excavated material upon the belt as the same moves upward. The elevator-belt is operated through the medium of its upper roller, 27, which is driven by a bevel-gear 32, attached to the inner end of its shaft and meshing with a similar gear, 33, on the upper end of shaft 24. The shaft 24 is driven through the medium of a bevel-gear 34, mounted loosely thereon by a spline-andfeather connection and meshing with a similar gear, 35, on ahorizontal shaft 36, journaled in the frame 23, said shaft being driven by a suitable connection with the stationary engine 22, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, or by suitable connection with the axles of the car. The gear 34 is thrown into and out of mesh with the gear 35 by means of a suitable sliding wedge 37, operated by a pivoted lever 38, as shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3.

It will be observed that by means of the pivot-al connection of the frame 25 with shaft 24 and of the elevator with the shaft 2G the elevator, together with its connected parts, may be swung off the car and lowered alongside the same, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. It will also be observed that in its swinging movements the support 25 is supported upon the base of the stationary frame 23.k

A short trough 39, semicircular in cross-section, is pivotally connected to the forward end of the elevator by means of a vertical shaft 40, which passes through suitable ears or lugs 41, secured or formed respectively on the inner sides of the elevator-frame and troughframe, the trough being provided with a vertical plate 42 to carry the said lugs, and the adjacent side 28 of the elevator-frame being widened for the same purpose. The trough 39 is vin line with the elevator-belt and eX- tends in between the sides of the elevator far enough to deposit the excavated material thereon. Secured to the trough on the opposite side from the hinge is a segmental flange 43, which rests upon a similar flange, 44, secured on the upper edge of the outer side of the elevator, the outer curved edges of these flan ges being struck on a radius from the center of the pivotal shaft 40. Secured to the flange 43 is a clip 45, which embraces the curved edge of the lower ange, 44. The two flanges and the clip serve to guide and support the trough in its lateral pivotal movements. To adjust the trough laterally from the derrick-car a long operating-rod 46 is provided, which eXtends up to within convenient reach of the operator on the car and is connected by a universal joint 47 to a screw 48, which is held against endwise movement by a thrust-block 49, carried by a brace or bracket 50, connecting the sides of the elevator, and which is tapped through a pivotal nut 51 carried by the trough.

A conveyer consisting of one or more sprocket chains 52, carrying plates 53, is mounted in the trough to move the material upward through the trough and deposit it upon the elevator-belt. The upper or rear sprocket-wheel, 54, carrying the sprocket- IOO IIO

chain 52, is secured' on a shaft 55, which is journaled in the sides of the trough and is driven by a bevel-gear 56, secured on its inner end and meshing with a similar gear, 57,

carried by the shaft 40, this shaft being itself driven by a pair of bevel-gears 58, gearing it with the roller 8O of the elevator. The sprocket-wheel 59 carries the forward end of the conveyer and is journaled in a sliding frame 60, mounted slidingly upon the forward ends of a pair of bars 6l, which rest in the trough, close to the side edges thereof, and are pivotally hun gat their rear or upper ends upon the shaft 55. To adj ust the sprocket-wheel 59 and keep the conveyer-belt taut a thumb-screw 62 is tapped through a brace 68 connecting the bars 6l and is adapted to bear upon the rear edge of the slide 60, said brace 63 and screw 62 being mounted between the upper and lower parts of the conveyer. It will th us be seen that the conveyer is free to swing up and down upon the shaft 55 las a center and that it normally rests in the trough, the edges of the blades 58 being curved to fit the bottom of the trough, whereby the material will be taken into the trough as fast as excavated and rapidly moved up and deposited upon the conveyer-belt of the elevator.

Hinged to the front lower edge of the trough 89 is the cutting point or scoop 64, which in cross-section conforms to the shape of the trough and which extends forwardly and is sharpened to facilitate entrance into the earth. This scoop is adjusted or swung vertically on its hinge to regulate the depth of the cut desired, and any suitable means may be employed to obtain the adjustment. We prefer, however, to adjust the scoop by means of a screw 65, which is threaded through a pivoted nut 66, carried by an arch 67 connecting the sides of the scoop, said screw extending rearwardly and being journaled in a lug 68, secured on top of an arch 69 connecting the forward ends of the sides of the scoop and being operated by means of a rod 70, connected to it by a universal joint 7l and extending up parallel with the elevator to a point within convenient reach of the operator on the car. Secured on the under side of the scoop are two parallel cutting-guides, which extend forwardly beyond the cutting-edge of the scoop and rearwardly a suitable distance under the trough, their forward edges being sharpened to assist in breaking up the soil for the scoop. Each of these bars is provided with a longitudinal depending flange, which serves to assist in guiding the excavating-scoop and preventing lateral vibration while in operation.

It will be observed that the mechanism we have shown and described permits the elevator, with its connected excavating devices, to be readily raised and lowered and adjusted laterally with respect to the car. It will also be seen that the means employed for connecting the trough to the elevator permits the trough and cutting-scoop to be kept always in line with the excavating devices, a verti-,

cal shaft 75 (carrying a pinion 76 meshing with the rack 77 on the pulling-beam) being employed to secure the adjustment. Connecting the outer end of the pulling-beam to the front end of the excai-*ating devices are the chains or cables 78, which are wound upon a drum 79, j ournaled between the forward ends of a pair of arms 80, carried by the trough 89. The drum 79 is rotated to wind and unwind the pulling-cables 78 and locked against accidental rotation by means of a worm 81, mounted on the front end of a rod 82 and meshing with a worm-gear 88 secured on the end of the drum-shaft, therod 82 extending up to within convenient reach of the operator on the car. To prevent the shaft 75 turning accidentally, a suitable ratchet or dog 84 is employed to lock the same after the pulling-beam is adjusted to the desired point, as shown in Fig. 2. Pivotally connecting the pulling-beam to an adjustable plate 85` supported at the side of the car is a draft-rod 86, which serves as a brace for the beam when it is projected laterally in working position, the pivotal connections of the rod to the pullingbeam and to said plate 85 permitting the rod to swing laterally and adjust itself to the position of the pulling-beam. The plate or bar 85 is supported in brackets or hangers 87 depending from the side of the car, and its lower edge is saw-toothed to engage a similarlytoothed plate, 88, carried by the hangers, an outer plate or iiange, 89, being employed to confine the plate 85 and keep it in engagement with plate 88. A rocking lever is pivoted upon the car and connected to the rear end of rod 86 by a link 91, whereby the plate 85 may be raised and adjusted forwardly or backwardly when the pulling -beam is moved outward or inward. The obj ect in serrating the plate 85 is to cause it to be locked positively in its adjusted position. The object of the pulling-beam is to relieve the trough and elevator from the draft-strain, this being done by keeping the cables or chains 78 drawn sufficiently taut. The pulling-beam and cables 78 serve also to assist in supporting the elevator and excavating devices, as is obvious.

The material is deposited from the elevator upon a longitudinal conveyer carried by the flat car coupled to the machine-car, two of these conveyers being preferably carried by each car, one along each side thereof. To

support the conveyers a frame is secured to each car consisting of the posts 92 iitted in the usual stake-pockets on theV sides of the car and connected by cross-beams 98, the

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cross-beams being connected over'thc center of the car by a board 94C, upon which the workmen may pass back and forth in adjusting the valves. When two conveyers are employed on cach car, the excavating and elevating devices on the machine-car will also have to be duplicated, as is obvious, one elevator discharging into each conveyer, this being the arrangement we contemplate adopting in practice.

Each of the conveyers consists of a supporting-board 95 suitably secured to the standards 92, and an outer stationary side, 96, and an inner side consisting of a series of laterally-swinging valves or sections 97. The endless belt 98"L rests upon and is supported by the bottom board 95 and is adapted to run freely in the bottom of the trough formed by the sides 96 and 97. The conveyer-belt is operated as the car moves along by suitable chain connections with the axle of the car,

one arrangement for driving the conveyer being shown in Fig. 8, in which arrangement two sprocket-chains 98 and 99 transmit motion from the axle to two short shafts 100 and 101, l

and from the latter the motion is transmitted by the gear-wheels 102 and 103 to the roller supporting the rear end of the conveyer-belt. The pivoted sections 97 are adapted to be swung laterally inward across the conveyerbelt to form an opening in the side of the conveyer and a guide or deflector to deiiect the material from the conveyer onto the flat car, as shown most clearly in Figs. 9 and 10. These delectors are adjusted by means of rocking levers 104 pivoted on the cross-beams 93 and connected t0 the deflectors by pivotal rods j 105, said levers being within easy reach of the workmen as they pass along the board 94:. To brace each defiector and guide it in its swinging movement, it is provided with an eye 106 at its free end, which travels upon a curved rod 107 supported by the beams 92 and 93. Each deflector 97 is pivoted upon a vcrtical rod or hanger 108, which depends from the adjacent cross-beams 93 and is connected to the inner edge of the bottom 95 of the conveyer, thereby assisting in supporting the conveyer. The conveyers on each car incline downward and forward and project a suitable distance beyond the ends of the car, whereby when a number of cars are coupled together the forward ends of the conveyers carried by the next succeeding cars will project slightly under the rear ends of the conveyers of the next preceding cars. The object in thus arranging the conveyers so that they shall overlap at their adjacent ends is that the earth or other material may be deposited from one elevator upon the next succeeding elevator, and in that way be conveyed the entire length of the train and be deflected onto the cars successively until all the cars are loaded, as is obvious. This capability of loading a train of cars of any practical length by a series of ele,- vators emptying from one to the other and provided with deflecting-valves throughout their entire length is one of the most essential features of this invention, as it saves a vast amount of labor and expensive machinery.

If desired, a series of transverse rollers 10S may be journaled at intervals' in openings in the bottom of the conveyer boxes or troughs to assist in reducing the friction of the conveyer-belt laden with the excavated material.

Another essential feature of the invention is the particular arrangement of valves or defieetors, which are pivoted at their rear ends and which when in line with each other form the inner side of the conveyer-box, and which when swung inward until their forward ends press against the stationary side of the box serve to deiiect the material from the belt and deposit it at or near the center of the car and at the same time keep the belt clean and prevent it from fouling. It is obvious that with the gates or deiiectors all closed the material may be carried indefinitely backward as the train moves forward.

It is of course obvious that when the conveyers are'driven by mechanism connected up to the car-axles suitable devices of the ordinary construction are to be employed to throw the driving-pinions out of gear, so that the train may be backed without operating the conveyer-belts.

The mechanism for conveying the material to either side of the car and depositing it by the side of the road-bed instead of conveying it back and emptying it on the flat cars is shown in detail in Figs. 11 to 13,inclusive,this cross conveying mechanism being brought into requisition when it is not desired toload the material upon a train of cars. This mechanism consists of two conveyers 109, carrying the usual belts and rollers and open at their ends and extending transversely of the car and having their outer ends extending a suitable distance beyond the sides of the car in order to deposit the material on either side of the road-bed. Each conveyer is supported independently upon a swinging support 110 pivotally connected at its lower end to the car-body and adapted to swing transversely of the car when the conveyer-boxes are shifted endwise. The shafts 111 of the belt-rollers at the inner ends of the respective conveyers are each provided with a pair of gear-wheels 112 and are journaled at their ends in two large gear-wheels 113, one of which latter wheels is loosely mounted near each end of a shaft 11-1 journaled upon suitable supports 115 near the middle of the car. The wheels 112, secured on the ends of the belt-roller shafts, mesh with a pair of larger gears 116 secured on the shaft 114. The shaft 114 is driven by a suitable bevel-gear connection with the shaft 36,the a-rrangement shown (particularly in Fig. 12) consisting of a bevelgear 117 adapted to mesh with either one of a pair of similar wheels on said shaft 36, said gear-wheels 11S being connected together and secured on the shaft by a spline-and-feather connection in order that they maybe shifted ICO IIO

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to change the direction of rotation of shaft 114, according as the material is to be deposited upon one side or the other. It will be observed that by this arrangement both conveyer-belts will be driven from the shaft 114 and that the upper conveyer will deposit its material upon the inner end of the other conveyer and this latter conveyer will deposit it at the side of the road-bed, the conveyer on the right hand of Figs. 11 and 12 being the upper one and being adapted to receive the material from the elevator-belt 29.

Vhen it is desired to lower the right-hand conveyer and raise the left-l1 and one (a d u plicate of the elevator 29 being of course em-` ployed on the opposite side of the car) to de posit the material on the right-hand side of the road-bed, it is simply necessary to rotate the loose wheels 113 sufiiciently to shift the positions of the two conveyers so as to make the left-hand one empty into the inner end of the right-hand one. To thus shift the conveyers simply about a quarter-revolution of the wheels 113 will be necessary, and to rotate the wheels any suitable mechanism may be employed7 the preferred mechanism consisting of a shaft 119 journaled near the cariioor and provided with a pair of gears 120, meshing with said wheels 113, said shaft 119 being driven by suitable bevel-gear connection 121 with the shaft 36, and the shaft 36 being provided with a slidable pair of gears 122 (similar to the gears 118) in order that the direction of the rotation of shaft 119 may be reversed.

When the material is to be loaded upon the longitudinal conveyers carried by the cars the cross-conveyers may be shifted so as to come approximately in horizontal line with each other in order that they will not interfere with the projecting ends of the adjacent lon gitudinal conveyers which project under or nearly under the upper ends of the elevators, or the rods 110 may be disconnected and the crossconveyers lowered out of the way. It will also be seen that the gearing for driving the cross-conveyer belts may be disengaged from the main shaft 36 by shifting the gears 118 and 122 midway between their respective gears on the shafts 114 and 119. It will also be understood that the cross-conveyers may be driven by suitable connection with the axle of the machine-car, if desired.

XVe desire it understood that our invention is not restricted to the particular construction shown and described, since it is obvious that various changes in the construction might be made by one skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the claims.

Having thus fully described our invention, what we claim is-w 1. In combination with a railway-car, of an elevator carryin g excavating devices and adapted to be shifted laterally with respect to the car, a der 1ick mounted on the car and provided with a swinging arm, a drum and carriage therefor carried by Asaid swinging arm,

' means for sliding the carriage along the arm,

cables or chains connecting the drum to the excavating mechanism, and means for operating the drum, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a car, of a swinging elevator carrying suitable excavating devices, a derrick on the car, consisting of a post and a horizontally-swingin g arm mounted thereon and provided with tracks, a carriage adapted to run on said tracks, means for adjusting the carriage on the tracks, cables connectin g the drum to the excavating devices, a shaft connected to the drum and extending inwardly parallel to the swinging arm, a gear mounted on the shaft lby spline-and-feather connection, and means for operatin the gear as and for the purposes described.

3. The combination with a car, carrying swinging excavating and elevating devices, of a derrick on the car, said derrick consisting of a post, a swinging arm carrying a longitudinal track, a stationary platform carried by the post and carrying tracks adapted to register with the tracks carried by the arm, a carriage running on said tracks and carrying a drum, means for operating the drum and a cable connecting it to the swinging elevating and excavating mechanism, substantially as described.

4. The combination with a car, carrying swinging elevating and excavating devices, of a derrick on the car consisting of a post, a swinging arm carrying tracks, a stationary platform carried by the post and grooved at or near its curved edge, a shoe carried by the arm and adapted to work in said groove, stationary tracks adapted to register with the tracks on the arm, a carriage running on said tracks and adapted to pass from the swinging track onto the stationary track, a drum carried by said carriage and connected by a cable or chain to the excavating and elevating devices, and means for sliding the carriage and rotating the drum, substantially as described.

5. The combination with a car having ele vating and excavating devices, of a derrick mounted on the car and consisting of a post supporting a stationary platform, a swinging arm pivoted on the post and carrying' a track, a track upon the stationary platform adapted to register with the track on the arm, a traveler running on said tracks and carrying a drum, a cable connecting the drum to the excavating devices, a shaft 12 connected to the drum and extending back beyond the derrick-post, a rack-bar connected to the carriage or traveler and also extending back beyond the post,and means for engaging and operating the rack-bar and the shaft 12, substantially as described.

G. The combination with a car, of a vertically and laterally swinging elevator thereon,

an excavating-trough pivoted to the forward..

end of said elevator and adapted to swing laterally with respect thereto, means for adjusting the excavating-trough with respect to IOO IIO

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the elevator and locking it in its adjusted positions, substantially as described.

7. The combination with a car of a laterallyadjustable elevator thereon, a laterally-adj ustable trough carried by the front end of the elevator and extending partly into the same, conveying devices supported within the trough and adapted to deposit the excavated material upon the elevator-belt, and a vertically-adjustable scoop carried by the forward end of the trough, substantially as described.

8. The combination of a car, an elevator carried thereby, a laterally-swinging trough on the forward end of the elevator, means for adjusting the trough, said means consisting of a screw mounted on the ele vator-frame and working through a nut carried by the excavating-trough, conveying mechanism in the trough, and a plow point or scoop on the forward end of the trough, substantially as described.

9. The combination with a car, of an `elevator thereon, an excavating-trough pivoted at one side of the forward end of the elevatorframe, a curved supporting-flange 41 mounted on the opposite side of the elevator-frame and adapted to support the adjacent side of the excavating trough, a clip carried by the trough and embracing said flange L14, and means for adjusting said trough laterally on its pivot and locking it in its adjusted positions, substantially as described.

10. The combination with an elevator, a laterally-swinging trough pivoted to the forward end thereof, conveying devices supported in the trough, a scoop hinged to the forward end of the trough and conforming thereto in cross-section, and means for vertically swinging the scoop and locking it in its adjusted position, substantially as described.

1l. The combination with an excavatingtrough, an excavating-point hinged thereto, and bars 7 2 secured to the under side of the excavating-point and extending forwardly thereof and flanged and sharpened, substantially as described.

l2. The combination with an elevator, of an excavating trough or scoop connected thereto at its forward end, a conveyer mounted in the scoop consisting of a chain belt carrying blades, a swinging frame pivoted at the rear end of the trough and free at its forward end, said frame being adapted to support the forward end of the conveyer and permit it to normally rest in the trough, substantially as described.

13. The combination with an elevator, of an excavating-trough, a chain conveyer supported in the trough, sprocket-wheels journaled on shafts extending across said trough and means for driving the rear sprocket-wheel, a pair of swinging bars rest-ing in the trough and carrying a slidable frame at their forward ends, this slidable frame supporting the front sprocket-wheel, and a scoop or shovel secured on the forward end of the trough, substantially as described.

111. The combination with an elevator, of a laterally-swinging excavating-trough on its forward end, conveying devices in the trough, an arch connecting the rear ends of the sides of the trough, a vertically-swinging scoop on the forward end of the trough, having its sides connected by an arch, and means for adjusting the scoop, said means consisting of a screw 65 journaled on the rear arch and working through a pivoted nut GG carried by thc front arch, substantially as described.

15. The combination of a car, of excavating and elevating devices thereon, a pullingbeam mounted on the car forward of the excavating devices, a cable or chain connecting the pulling-beam to the excavating devices, a drum carried by the excavating devices to receive the cable or chain, and means forrotating the drum and locking it, substantially as described.

1G. The combination of a car, carrying laterally-swinging excavating devices, a pullingbeam supported on the car forward of the excavating devices and being endwise adjustable on the car, a cable or chain connecting the outer end of the pulling-beam to the excavatin g devices, a diagonal brace extending from the outer end of the pulling-beam to the car and adjustably and pivotally connected t0 the latter, and means for locking the inner end of the brace in its adjusted positions, substantially as described.

17. The combination with a car carrying excavating devices, of a pulling-beam connected to the excavating devices a laterallyswinging brace connecting the pulling-beam to the car, a serrated plate S5 connected to the rear end of the brace, a stationary plate on the car a similarly serrated plate engaging the movable plate 85 and locking it against rearward movement, substantially as described.

lS. In an apparatus for excavating material from the side of a road-bed, the combination of a machine car, carrying excavating and elevating devices, and a series of cars connected to the machine-car and each carrying an endless conveyer, the conveyer of the preceding cars being adapted to empty into the next succeeding cars and so on te the end of the train, each conveyer being provided with a series of valves or gates, whereby all the cars may be loaded successively as the train moves along, substantially as described.

19. The combination of a car carrying a conveyer, said conveyer being inclined downwardly and forwardly and being provided with a series of gates along its length whereby the material may be discharged from the conveyer at various points along the-car, substantially as described.

20. The combination of a car carrying a conveyer extending longitudinally up and inclining downwardly toward the front end and IOO IIO

projecting beyond the ends of the car, and means for discharging the material at various points, said means consisting of a series of valves adapted to extend obliquely across the eonveyer and scrape the same, whereby when a series of cars are coupled together the adjacent ends of the conveyer will be brought into such relation that the forward conveyer will discharge into the forward end of the rear conveyer, substantially as described.

21. The combination of a car and a conveyer-boX extendinglongitudinally of the car, an endless conveyer running in the box, one side of saidbox consisting of a series of swinging sections or defiectors adapted to extend across the face of the belt and deflect the material therefrom, substantially as described.

22. The combination of a car carrying an elevator and a pair of cross-conveyers adapted to be shifted to empty into each other and to deposit the material on either side of the roadbed, substantially as described.

23. The combination of a car carrying an elevator, of two cross-conveyers extending transversely of the car, both conveyers being bodily adjustable vertically and in an end* wise direction, wlierebyeither conveyer may be made to discharge into the other, substan tially as described.

24. The combination with a car, of .a pair of transverse conveyers supported thereon and carrying endless belts, the inner rollers of the belts carrying gear-wheels, a rotating part (as wheel 113) supporting the journals of 'said belt-rollers, a driving-shaft carrying a gear meshing with both the gears on the beltroller as and for the purpose set forth The combination of a car, a pair of crossconveyers supported in alignment and being bodily adjustable vertically and endwisely, an endless belt in each conveyer, gears 112 secured to the inner belt-rollers, gears 116 meshing with said gears 112, gears 113 supporting the .journals of said belt-rollers, and means for driving gears 116 and means for adjusting gears 113, substantially as described.

Moses w. RoRrNsoN. RUDOLPH nRioK. FRANK n. sHrELns.

Witn esses z LE ROY A. PALMER, H. H. CARTER. 

